USA > Illinois > Piatt County > History of Piatt County; together with a brief history of Illinois from the discovery of the upper Mississippi to the present time > Part 25
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MR. G. A. BURGESS, superintendent of schools, is a native of Iowa. His parents died when he was quite young and he returned to Illinois in 1866 to make his home with his uncle. Mr. Burgess left the farm in 1876, graduating at the State Normal School in 1878. He owns a farm of 120 acres in Bement township, which he has improved, in addition to his residence property in Monticello. He was married in 1874, to Jane Conoway and has three children, Louis, Fred and an infant. Mr. Burgess was in the Monticello schools three years, two of which he was principal. For the last year he has successfully held the position of superintendent of schools.
MR. C. BULLA, confectioner, Monticello, is a native of Wayne county, Indiana, which place he still calls home. He came to Piatt
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county in 1877, and for two years was in the drug store with W. H. Reese, after which time he went into business for himself.
MR. EZRA CLINE (deceased) was a native of Ohio. His father moved from Ohio to a farm on Stringtown Lane about 1839. He had been married four times. The subject of our sketch had three brothers and four sisters, all of whom are dead now. Jolin, Jacob and' David died in this county. Jacob left two children, one of whom is still liv- ing on the home place. John left six children. Ezra Cline's half- brother Samuel lives in Warren county, Illinois; Martin died in the Andersonville prison ; Simeon lives in Missouri ; Reuben is married and lives in Piatt county. Ezra Cline was married in 1854, to Mrs. Willis Ater nee Eliza Williams, a native of Indiana. After her first husband's death she went home to live with her father, who died in one month after Mr. Ater's decease. Five of Mr. Cline's children are living. John T. is in the sheep business in Uvalde county, Texas ; Jacob C. was married in 1881, to Amanda Class, and lives on the Cline place ; Sarepta C. was married in July, 1879, to Cyrus Peck, and lives in Willow Branch township; Joseph D. and Mary M. still live at home. Mr. Cline died. in 1877, and his widow still owns the home place. -
DR. NELSON G. COFFIN is of English descent, and was born in North Carolina in 1820. When he was but two years old his people moved to Vermilion county, Indiana. He moved to Piatt county, Illinois, in 1847. Two of his sisters and one brother are still living. In the spring of 1848 Dr. Coffin married Phoebe D. Johnson, who was a native of Rhode Island, and who came to Piatt county about 1847. After their marriage they settled in Monticello, and this has been the doctor's home ever since. Mrs. Coffin died in 1857. Of the three children which blessed their union, but one is living, Eugene, who is unmarried and at present (1881) is in Kansas City, in the Western Union telegraph office. He gained a portion of his education at Jack- sonville, Illinois. Dr. Coffin obtained his medical education at the Medical College of Ohio, in Cincinnati. He studied in the regular school. He began his practice in Vermilion county, Indiana, in 1843, and remained there until his settlement in Piatt county. His early practice extended all over this county and ofttimes beyond its limits. He, in common with other early physicians in the county, suffered many inconveniences in traveling over the almost roadless country, which was traversed by swollen streams and covered with swampy ponds. Dr. Coffin was in the army from August, 1862, until July, 1865.
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He was assistant surgeon in the 107th Ill. reg. and spent most of his time in hospitals. He was at the battle of Franklin, Tennessee, and at Nashville. During the year of 1881 Dr. Coffin changed his old office for a more commodious one of brick. This office, within half a block of the public square in Monticello, is quite a place of resort, both for his business and his social friends.
MR. ABNER CONNER (deceased), stock buyer and dealer, Monticello, was born in West Virginia. His parents were natives of Virginia, and moved from there to Ohio, and thence to Piatt county in 1851. Mr. Conner was married in 1840, to Rachel Motherspaw, and moved onto the farm now owned by Col. Smith. They also lived for a time on a part of the Allerton farin. then moved to Monticello in 1858, into the house where Mrs. Conner now lives. They had eight children, four of whom are living. Edward was in the army, in the 10th Ill. Cav., and died from sickness in 1862, while there, and was buried in Springfield, Missouri. Kate married George Weaver and has three children, Maud, Edna and Nellie. Louisa is the wife of Jesse War- ner and has two children, Ollie and Edward. Olive married Barnum Hannon, a farmer, and lives in Champaign county ; they have two children. Ella is at home ; she attended school at Valparaiso, and is a teacher. Mr. Conner died May 23, 1880.
MR. JAMES CLASS' father, Barnabas Class, was a native of New Jersey. Ile was of German descent. James Class was born in New Jersey in 1822. He was married in 1850, to Phœba Hennion, of Mor- ris county, New Jersey, and in 1855 moved to Piatt county, Illinois. Two of their children were born in New Jersey. Asa married Miss Ella Tinsman ; they have two children. Sarah married W. O. Doo- ley and lives in Willow Branch township. Jane married Michael Hemmings ; they have three children. Clara and Ella are unmarried' and at home. Amanda married Mr. Cline in 1881. She and her sister Ella are both graduates of the Monticello high school. Willie, the youngest of the family, is still at home. Mr. James Class has followed blacksmithing ever since coming to Monticello. He has held the offices of school director, school trustee and town marshal. He is a member of the Masonic lodge.
JOIN W. COLEMAN, M.D., Monticello, was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, January 8, 1831 his mother was from Maryland. His father was a Pennsylvanian, and Dr. Coleman received his academic education at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and at the/ Farmers' College, at Collège Hill, Ohio. He graduated at the latter school in
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1853, and was one of a class of twelve, among whom were William Penn Nixon, of the "Chicago Inter Ocean," and Hon. William P. Fishback, of the United States court at Indianapolis, Indiana. His medical education was obtained at Miami College, Cincinnati, Ohio, where he graduated in 1856. Upon leaving college he located at Leroy, McLean county, Illinois, where he practiced for a time in partnership. with Dr. S. W. Noble, then one of the most prominent physicians of central Illinois. In 1860 the subject of our sketch moved to Monticello, where he pursued the practice of his profession until 1862, when he was commissioned as assistant surgeon in the army in the 41st Ill., under Col. Pugh. During his three years' service he was with the army of the Tennessee in all its campaigns in the west, at the siege and final surrender of Vicksburg, with Sherman at Atlanta, in the march to the sea, and the final march through the Carolinas and Virginia to Washington. After the memorable grand review of the armies of Grant and Sherman at Washington, Dr. Cole- man returned home. Dr. Coleman was married at Leroy, June 8, 1858. Mrs. Coleman is a native of Terre Haute, Indiana. Her parents moved to Leroy about 1852. Dr. and Mrs. Coleman have had several children, only one of whom, Lida, has lived to reach maturity. Lida is a graduate of the Monticello High School, and has recently been attending school at College Hill, Cincinnati. Since the war Dr. Coleman has uninterruptedly practiced his profession in Monticello, and is one of our most able and worthy physicians. He owns one of the neatest homesteads of the city, and one needs but to glance at his yard in the summer time to observe that he has taste and ability in landscape gardening
MR. WILSON F. Cox, Nashville, Missouri, was born February 28, 1827, in Spencer county, Indiana, and removed with his parents to Vermilion county, Indiana, in 1831. He attended subscription school most of the time from 1833 to 1836, after which his school days were restricted to from six to ten weeks per annum. By devoting most of his spare time to study he was enabled, at the age of nineteen, to obtain: the position of teacher in a neighboring country school. In November, 1849, he monnted his horse and, with his earthly possessions made into a small bundle, he set his face westward, and on the 7th arrived at "Greasy Point," four miles southwest of Mahomet, and near the line between Piatt and Champaign counties. From 1850 to 1857 he divided his time between teaching and farming. He was united : in .. marriage with Mrs. Jane Smith nee Willard, on the
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23d of September, 1851. In July, 1857, he removed with his family to Monticello, where he was successively engaged as deputy recorder in the office of L. J. Bond ; circuit clerk ; clerk in the store of J. H. Hollingsworth ; deputy assessor, with Mr. Wm. F. Foster ; dep- uty sheriff, with Dr. P. K. Hull until July, 1859, when. he was. chosen clerk of the county court to fill vacancy caused by the death of James L. Miller. In December, 1861, his term of office having expired, he ." enlisted in Co. H, 63d Ill. Vol. Inf., being mustered in with the regiment April 10, 1862, as 2d sergeant ; was made 1st sergeant in June, 1862; 2d lieutenant April 3, 1863, and was promoted to 1st lieutenant February, 1864. He was mustered out of service and honora- bly discharged May 24, 1865. In August, 1865, he was appointed postmaster at Monticello, but resigned in February, 1866, and in the following June removed to Champaign county, and from tlience to Barton county, Missouri, in October, 1867, where he still lives. His father, Jesse F. Cox, was born in North Carolina, May 11, 1782, and removed to Madison county, Kentucky, in 1825, and in the following year to Spencer county, Indiana, and from thence to Vermilion county, Indiana, in 1831, where he died in April, 1847. His mother, Elizabeth Cox, whose maiden name was McLary, was born in Garrard county, Kentucky, April 11, 1797, and married William H. Steen in 1816, and after his decease married Jesse F. Cox in 1826. "She died in - Missouri, in August, 1872. Mrs. Wilson Cox, nee Jane Willard, was born near Nashville, Tennessee, January 19, 1825. Her parents both died during her childhood, and in 1834 relatives took her to Johnson county, Indiana, thence to Vermilion county, and thence, in 1840, to Piatt county, Illinois ; at that time it was a part of Macon county. She was married in 1843, to Joshua Smith, and some years after his death was married to W. F. Cox.
WILSON F. Cox, of Barton county, Missouri, in writing of his sojourn in Piatt county, remarked that "in 1849 the settlements were confined to the immediate vicinity of the timber on either side of the Sangamon river, very few of the farm houses being one-fourth of a mile from the timber line, and many people thought that the prairies would never be settled as far out as three or four miles. The first man I heard speak of settling at the Irish Grove, now the ‘Uncle Tommy Branch farm,' was deemed a proper subject for the lunatic asylum, and doubtless any man who would have attempted to settle east of the Blue Mound would have been deemed an incurable idiot. Yet ere I left Piatt county farins and farm-houses dotted the broad prairie east and
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west of the Sangamon river, to and far beyond Tolono on the east, and to Friends creek on the west." He further says that since the close of the war a number of Piatt county citizens have removed to southwest Missouri. Among them are Charles Marquiss, of Joplin, Jasper county, Missouri ; John Elsea, Joseph Wright and Samuel Franklin, at Webb City, Jasper county, Missouri ; M. P. Winstead, John Dyer, Henry Morain, John S. Herron and H. D. Moffitt, Nashville, Barton county. Missouri ; Braxton Acree and William Robinson, at Golden City, Barton county, Missouri ; Harry Hubbart, J. P. Hubbart, Jacob Freeman, Reuben Warner and William Motherspaw, at Carthage, Jasper county, Missouri ; Mrs. Sarah E. Hubbart (formerly Mrs. J. D. Phillips) and S. S. Wimmer, at Opolis, Kansas ; James Newell, at Webb City, Missouri; Mrs. Nancy Alexander (formerly Mrs. G. C. Anderson), and Mrs. "Betty " Anderson, relict of John Anderson, and mother of Mrs. W. H. Plunk, at Nashville, Barton county, Mis- souri ; Frank Gulick, Preston, Jasper county; Elijah Souders, Avilla, Jasper county; Benjamin Bartlett, J. Collins, John Wolf and Mrs. William Sides (née Elizabeth Coffman, daughter of Noah Coffman), at Diamond City, Missouri ; William M. Collins, at Preston, Jasper connty; and William S. ("Doc") Boyd, at Leroy, Barton county, Mis souri ; John C. Hubbart is near Bozeman, Montana, and Henry M. Phillips and George Fisher are near Mound City, Kansas.
DR. J. H. CARPER, Monticello, was born in Shelby county, Ohio, and came with his people to Piatt county. His father, John Carper, came to the county in 1854, settled near Centerville, and lived there until his death, February 7, 1866. He was married in Ohio, to Lydia A. Strunk, who died leaving two children, Dr. Carper and William A., who lives in Crawford county, this state. Mr. Carper was married three times. One daughter, by his last wife, now Mrs. Alice Wrench, is living in the county. Dr. Carper is a graduate of the Eclectic Medical College, Cincinnati, and is one of our most successful phy- sicians. He was married June 8, 1882, to Mary H. Piatt, and resides in Monticello.
MR. DANIEL CARLIN, farmer, Monticello, a native of Ireland, canie to America in 1854, locating in Piatt county in 1856. He owns 120 acres of land, upon which he has put most of the improvements. When he first came to the place there were no trees in sight of his farm, and there was not a house between the Scott farm and Sadorus". Grove. Mr. Carlin went to the army from Piatt county in Co.'E of the 107th Ill. reg., and was in the battles of the Atlanta campaign and
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those at Nashville and Franklin. He was taken prisoner by Morgan and retained eight months.
MR. LAWRENCE CASEY, farmer, Monticello, was born in Ireland. He came from his native country to America in 1849, locating in 1855 in Piatt county, where he has lived ever since. He owns 80 acres of Jand, which he has improved himself.
MR. AMOS CONARD, farmer, Monticello, is a native of Ohio, from which state he moved to McLean county, Illinois. He came to Piatt county about 1869, and now owns 160 acres of land in Monticello township, which he has improved. He was married in 1832, to Sarah Smoots, and has had eleven children, six of whom are living. Hiram married Dannie Gordon, lias three children, Edith, Alplia and Eliza, and lives on the home place. Jonah married Mary Rabb, lives in Missouri, and has six children. P. H. married Orrilla Davis. Frank married Lizzie Suver, has three children and lives in Warren county. John married Lena Stiles, lives near Camp creek, and has six children, Lulu, Grace, James, Solon, 'Joe and Amos. Eli Conard is now in Arizona.
MR. P. II. CONARD, farmer, is a native of Ohio. . He; came to Piatt county with his father about 1868. He nów owns 200 acres of land in Monticello township, which he has improved himself. His present residence was built in 1872. He was married in the same year to Orrilla Davis, and has had four children, Amos, Arthur, Frank and Clyde. They have an adopted child, Annie Flynn. ..
Mr. D. G. CANTNER, express agent, Monticello, is a native of Pennsylvania. Owing to losses by fire, he moved from Pennsylvania to Dwight, Illinois, in 1868. He lived in Winona, Streator, moved to Kansas, where he experienced the effects of the great grasshopper raid, and then in 1874 located in Monticello as agent of the Chicago & Paducah railroad. In all, he lias had six years of practice in tele- graphy. He owns a house and one lot in' Monticello. He was married September 15, 1864, to Lettie M. Johnson, and has three children, Grace, Jennie and Charlie. Mr. Cantner, while attending school at Gettysburg in 1863, joined Co. C of the College Guards, 26th P. V. V., and was under Col. Jennings.
MR. JAMES E. CAMPBELL, farmer, Monticello, is a native of Ross county, Ohio. His parents were from Kentucky and Pennsylvania, but lived and died in Ohio. Mr. Campbell came to Sangamon county in 1849 and visited in Piatt county, but did not move here until 1865, when he settled in Sangamon township. He moved to Sangamon
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county again in 1872, and in 1881 returned to Piatt county and at present is living one mile east of Monticello, on the place until lately known as the John Piatt farm. Mr. Campbell was married in Sangamon county, to Nancy J. Gipson. Seven of their ten children are living. Mary Alice married John Hickman ; she died leaving two children. Mr. Hickman married again and lives on Stringtown Lane. George W., butcher, married Charity Bensil, lives in Monticello, and has four children. Permelia Catharine, Ruth, Theodore, Emma, Allen, Eva and Robert are at home. Mr. James Campbell had a brother, Williamson Campbell, who came to Piatt county in 1847-or 1848 and settled on what is now Sam Bender's farm. He died in this county in 1872. His widow is still living here.
MR. NICHOLAS DEVORE (deceased) was born in 1808, in Ohio. He came to Piatt county in 1834. The first winter he was in the county he sawed wood for Mr. Abraham Marquiss. It was during this time he first saw his future wife. After doing a good deal of sawing for various persons in the neighborhood Mr. Devore and his brother-in-law walked and dragged their whip-saw to Chicago. After a spell of sickness in the early fall he returned to Piatt county, and in December, 1835, married Susan Barnes. The newly married couple moved on to a farm nine miles southwest of Monticello. Sickness soon compelled them to return to Mr. Barnes', where they remained a year. As soon as Mr. Devore was able to be about, and while using crutches, he helped to put up a house which was the original "Old Fort" in Monticello. Before the house was completed he rented it to Mr. Edward Ater and Judge Rickets, who were to plaster the house for the use of it. Mr. Devore was again living at Mr. Barnes' when he took his death sickness, in 1842. Two of Mr. and Mrs. Devore's five children are still living. Sarah M. married Mr. J. N. Bondurant, February 18, 1867. They are now living in Ford county, Illinois. William C. married Mattie A. Kimler, November 19, 1877, and at present is living in Farmer City and is editor of the Farmer City "Journal." They have one child. Mr. N. Devore, while in Chicago, became acquainted with many of the early settlers there. He knew Guerdon S. Hubbard and the Kinzies there. Mrs. Devore married Mr. John Woolington. (See account of John Woolington.)
MR. ANDREW J. DIGHTON (deceased) was born in Erie City, Pennsylvania, and moved to Ashtabula county, Ohio. He was one of a family of ten children, and was educated at Kingsville and Transyl- vania University. Going to Kentucky, he taught school and attended
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law school there. Though he was admitted to the bar, he never practiced. He started to work for himself when fourteen or fifteen years old with but $1.50. By careful industry he was enabled to purchase land, and, in partnership with Mr. Donaldson, bought a farın of John Suver in this county, locating here in 1853, at first living in a double lewed log house. Because of two spare beds, a rag carpet, big pillows, flowered window curtains, and chairs, it was considered the finest furnished house in all the neighborhood. He soon bought Mr. Donaldson out, his farm then consisting of 800 acres. They at first lived not far from where the present house now stands. At the time of his death he owned 1,520 acres of land, part of which is 'in Cham- paign county, besides a home of 500 acres ; also had one-third interest in the bank of Houston, Moore & Dighton. The home farm was the best improved of any, the nice farm residence being built soon after coming to the county, but it has since been remodeled. He also owned a farm of. 197 acres at Cisco, which is some improved. Mr. Digliton was married in Kentucky, in 1854, to Sarah C. Netherton. They have had eight children, five of whom are living. John N., who is married, lives in Monticello (see his sketch). Elvira and Auna
attended Monticello Seminary for two years. Andrew died when twelve years old. Ida died December 30,, 1881, twelve years old. Willie and Mary are twins. Mrs. Dighton was one of a family of eiglit children, three of whom lived on farms. They were formerly slave owners. Mr. Dighton's parents were of English descent. His father was born in New York state, held the position of county judge and was in the war of 1812. His grandfather was in the revolutionary war under Burgoyne. Before leaving England he determined not to fight the Americans but to desert to their side. At this time he was in college preparing for the church, and was a good Greek and Latin scholar. He deserted while in Canada and went through woods to the American side ; was followed by Indians, and so closely beset that he threw away his arms and sunk himself all but his nose under a log in the water. The Indians actually walked over the log and their dog came and smelled of him. He was so exhausted and about to give up when he heard a rooster crow and crawled to the house and finally got to the army. He received several wounds during engagements, was given an office, and at the time of Burgoyne's surrender was on the American side. After leaving the army he taught school the rest of his life. Grandfather Dighton lived here seven years, died about 1867, and is buried in Piatt county. Mr. Andrew Dighton died December 25, 1878.
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MR. JOHN DIGHTON, farmer, Monticello, was born in Kentucky, and reared in this county, where he received his early education. He also attended the state university at Champaign. He was appointed ad- ministrator of his father's estate, and since his death has had charge of and managed the business for all the heirs. He owns individually now at least 500 acres besides town property and brick store. He is a very shrewd business man. Mr. Dighton was married June 29, 1881, to Miss Mary I. Reed. They spent two months in California, return- ing to locate in Monticello. Mrs. Dighton is a native of Monroe county, Ohio, and came to Illinois about.1864 to teach. Her brother Samuel was married and living here at that time. She first taught at Madden's school two terms, and next taught at Cerro Gordo. She attended Monti- cello Seminary near Alton three years in all, graduating about 1870, teaching in the meantime. She then taught in Bement one year, and . was first assistant in Monticello for three years. For a year she taught private pupils. Mrs. Dighton, nee Mary Reed, was elected county superintendent in 1877, but resigned ere her time was up. She revived the institute after a cessation of several years, held the first long term institute, and did excellent work. She conducted three institutes. Mrs. Samuel Reed, her mother, died in Monticello in 1878. Miss Sarah Reed has taught in Cerro Gordo, Bement and Monticello, and is a member of the class of '82 at Oberlin, Ohio. Dr. William Reed practiced a number of years in Cerro Gordo. He is a graduate of the Detroit Medical College, and was a soldier in the late war. Mr. Reed married Mary L. Sartwell, and lives in Kansas City, Mo. Mr. James Reed was a druggist in Cerro Gordo, married Sarah S. Thomas, lives in Liverpool, Ohio, and has three children.
MR. ISAAC DYER, a resident of Monticello, was born in 1812, in Vir- ginia. His parents were natives of the same state and were of English and German lineage. They moved to Fayette county, Ohio, in 1827, and their earthly days ended in this state. Mr. Dyer was married in 1833, in Highland county, Ohio, to Miss Catharine J. Carothers. Her parents, Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Saralı (Bothwell) Carothers, were natives of Ireland. They came to America comparatively wealthy. Mrs. Dyer was born in 1812, in Virginia. She had three brothers, one of whom was killed in the Mexican war. Four daughters and one son came with Mr. Dyer to Piatt county in 1857. The son, Thomas C., returned to Ohio, and is now living there. Mary became the wife of Mr. William Webster, of Monticello. She died leaving several children to mourn a mother's loss. Ann is the wife of Mr. Sam Webster, while -
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Laura rules the home and heart of Mr. William Britton, of Monticello. Merab is still at home with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Dyer first landed in this county at Bement. Here one of the children was taken sick and the disease proved to be putrid sore throat. As they came into Monticello the next day after arriving in the county Mrs. Dyer caught sight of the old Methodist church, and thought it was a bake- shop. They first settled in a portion of the house in which the Misses Huston now live. Mr. Dyer paid $20 in gold a month for rent, and the building was only one story. Every room but one in the house leaked. Mr. Dyer has been a carpenter all his life. Both Mr. and Mrs. Dyer have been zealous workers in the Methodist Episcopal church of Monticello.
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